| assail |
to attack with vigor or violence; assault. |
| boorish |
rude; ill-mannered; crude. |
| debouch |
to advance out of a confined or narrow space such as a canyon into open country. |
| disaffection |
an absence or loss of good will, faith, or loyalty, especially toward a government, principle, or the like. |
| engender |
to create or give rise to. |
| euphoria |
a strong feeling of well-being or elation, sometimes unrealistic or unwarranted, and able to be induced by certain drugs. |
| exegesis |
a critical explanation or interpretive analysis, especially of religious texts. |
| lapidary |
an expert on or dealer in gemstones. |
| loll |
to hang down loosely; dangle. |
| maverick |
a person who thinks and behaves independently, especially one who refuses to adhere to the orthodoxy of the group to which he or she belongs. |
| nonfeasance |
in law, failure to perform a required duty, as by a public official. |
| pedantic |
making or characterized by an excessive display of learnedness, or overly insistent on scholarly details and formalities. |
| salacious |
excited by lust; lecherous. |
| savor |
to give an impression; hint (usually followed by "of"). |
| stentorian |
extremely loud and powerful. |